Signposts and Trails to Playgrounds- £5000

Local priority:

Public Spaces and Buildings

Issues:

• Reduced play and socialisation amongst families and young people;
• Our ‘pocket playgrounds’ are little known about, whilst the larger ones are over-crowded especially at peak times;
• Decreased custom for local businesses;
• Back and side streets look dull and uncared-for. 

Proposal:

Enhance awareness of playgrounds by way of colourful signposts at key junctures and painted trails which lead from nearby businesses.

It is envisaged that:

• the colourful signposts would be more visible to children, so that residents and visitors to Forest Gate can easily find our playgrounds;
• the colourful trails would be designed in such a way to avoid looking like they have been lifted straight out of a school playground: instead, their design would not only encourage children to interact physically with them and therefore extend the opportunity for open play, but also be enjoyed by everyone as street art (images below are merely illustrative); and
• the participating businesses would explain that the trails lead to nearby playgrounds, if queried.

The Community Assembly funding would be focussed on a flagship pocket playground located near an appropriate local business willing to participate, to act as a showcase, with a view to later rolling the project out across Forest Gate (from funding outwith the Community Assembly scheme) such that all playgrounds would have colourful signposts and all pocket playgrounds would have colourful trails.

Benefits:

• More outdoor play benefits physical and mental health;
• Greater use of pocket playgrounds relieves capacity at the larger ones and connects local families, improving socialisation and sense of community;
• Increased interaction between the local businesses involved and the community may lead to more custom;
• More colourful streetscape is a reminder that Forest Gate is a family-friendly area and brightens it up, helping it to feel safer.

Delivery:

I am a proud and proactive Forest Gater keen to improve and reclaim our public spaces, with a particular focus on play areas.

I am also an experienced project manager, and have already discussed with Newham’s Highways & Sustainable Transport team the likely costings as well as potential issues that I had identified such as legal, policy, and health and safety considerations. The head of that team has confirmed that they would take responsibility for ensuring that the flagship project meets all of those considerations, that installing signage is routine work, and they already have substantial experience in implementing colourful markings such as the pedestrian crossing between the Stratford and Westfield shopping centres, and the rainbow crossing for Forest Gayte Pride festival. He also confirmed that the team endorse the project’s objectives, and are keen to deliver it under my direction.

I therefore believe that this flagship project can be delivered successfully, and would be grateful for as much support as possible. Please vote! Thank you.

UPDATE: 1 November 2021

Originally, the pavement trail was going to be just geometric / abstract designs. However, I was keen to reflect the Afro-Caribbean community culture living near the project playground and, after some enquiries, I was connected to a long-term Forest Gate resident of part-Guyanese descent who creates and sells vibrant and fabulous clothing with prints that are based on typical designs found on Kente fabric (a traditional African cloth). We came up with various concepts but, as anticipated, the frontrunning contractor advised that it would be costly to proceed with her original wonderful designs. We have therefore been working to simplify these for the pavement trails.

In parallel, I have been liaising closely with LB Newham’s Highways & Sustainable Transport team to research the best materials / methods for the pavement trail taking into account cost and longevity. The current likely options are thermoplastic vinyls and methyl methcrylate paint. We have also been researching potential contractors to install it, as well as contractors to design and install the signs (ideally, I would like to proceed with a bespoke design that I have yet to see anywhere, that I think is more accessible and child-friendly). We have a meeting with one potential signs contractor this week.

UPDATE: 23 February 2022

The Highways & Sustainable Transport team and I continued to research the best materials / methods for the pavement trail, as it was difficult to get a clear answer until we were finally connected to the right person at the frontrunning contractor… some four months after first asking to speak to them! We have decided to focus the budget on thermoplastic vinyls for the trail on Station Road as this has more foot traffic. We are looking into alternative (future) funding options to create the rest of the trail (which is on a side alley) via stencils and spray paint. We are also exploring the option of continuing the middle section of the trail into a wall mural, which will give the whole concept far more impact: this aspect is currently being discussed internally within different teams at LB Newham so the decision is out of my hands! This would likely also be achieved through stencils and paint, as the side alley and wall do not require the same hardiness as Station Road. I have been trialling different spray paint options in preparation.

Despite contacting dozens of potential contractors for both the pavement trail and the signs, we have been left with just one viable contractor for each respectively. There have been lots of delays in clarifying their quotes, but we have just instructed the trails contractor and should be shortly finalising the quote and instructing the signs contractor.

To maximise the budget, we have further amended the trail designs. I am thrilled with the vibrant designs, and hope the local community is too!

UPDATE: 16 June 2022

The pavement trail was installed on Station Road and down the alley alongside Little Diamonds nursery on 19 April and, even as they were going down, we received positive comments on how they brightened the streetscape. Since then, we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback on the pavement trail both as a wayfinding element that invites interaction and also as a piece of street art. I walk through the area most days and frequently see children interact with the trail designs. I have also been informed by many local families that they will use Eric Road playground (and the adjoining sports court) now that they know about it.

A separate contractor was used to install the signs at the junction of Dames and Talbot Roads. Due to significant errors on their part, these signs were not installed until 27 May and 16 June 2022. We now have colourful signs that show the way to Eric Road playground and The UP Garden, and also to Dames Road playground.

Due to the higher cost of the thermoplastic vinyls for the pavement, we had to concentrate the trail on a smaller area. I have applied in the 2022/2023 Community Assembly scheme to continue the trail right up to the playground via wall murals. I am pleased to confirm that the people of Newham have voted my new project through, which you can find at https://newhamco-create.co.uk/en/ideas/wayfinding-wall-murals.